Title:

Ryohitsu Shibuya, Dean of the Mountain View florist colony of Japanese, is a chrysanthemum specialist. But he finds time for, and profit in growing, many other cut flower blooms, including sweet peas, dahlias and carnations. He is shown here on his 12-acre nursery among a rare collection of sweet peas which he is marketing in San Francisco. He has had no difficulty marketing his blooms. The Shibuya home has been occupied throughout evacuation by a Caucasian band manager. Since returning to California in April, the Shibuyas have camped out in a small apartment and overflowed into a floral packing shed. However, their home is to be made available to them in a short time and then, Mr. Shibuya says the family will soon be much more comfortable. Commercially, this season has been largely lost to him, Mr. Shibuya says. It has been a season of clean-up and much replanting. By Spring, however, he hopes to be back in the production of many of the famous Shibuya blooms. Maremaro, a high school student and the baby of the family, plans to enter a nearby high school and help out on the nursery. Masago will manage the home in addition to her duties at Stanford University where she will be employed. Yosh, recent graduate from the University of Nebraska, has had to postpone his planned career in electrical engineering. He is about to start westward for the first time --toward Japan as a T/S in Uncle Sam's army. -- Photographer: Iwasaki, Hikaru -- Mountain View, California. 7/6/45

Contributing Institution:

The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley.